Tonight, the Cardinal returns to Maples to tip off a four-game homestand against the Arizona State Sun Devils.
As the undisputed conference leader, No. 2 Stanford (17-1, 7-0 Pac-10) looks to build on the momentum gained last Sunday against an Arizona State team (4-3, 12-6) that is tied for fourth in the conference standings.
Both teams are on winning streaks, the Cardinal being 8-0 since the lone loss of the season to UConn, and ASU with a four-game run that has put its conference season back on track. They are also both coming off crucial wins last weekend, and confidence will be riding high in both camps.
Though establishing a better record in comparison to this time last year, the Card had struggled to regain its early season promise since Christmas. Saturday’s strong showing against the Ducks, the nation’s highest scoring team, looks to have blown away the cobwebs and could now launch them into the second half of the conference season.
Five of Stanford’s players scored in double figures, including a personal record of 30 set by sophomore forward Nnemkadi Ogwumike.
“I think the Oregon game was a good step forward for us,” said senior center Jayne Appel. “It kind of brought back the excitement. We played well, we came out and we did what we wanted to do. We had a lot of fun on the court – I think that was important for us.
“And I think it’s going to be a similar performance tomorrow,” she added. “We’re really excited and I feel like we’re moving out of that fug and moving back to where we’re headed.”
ASU’s away win last weekend against local rivals Arizona was no less significant. Both came into the game tied at 3-3 in the Pac-10, and were neck and neck at 44-44 before the Sun Devils could break free. With three players posting double figures in points and several achieving career highlights on hostile ground, it was an important step for a young team.
“They are a very aggressive team, they work very hard defensively and they have a young team this year, so it’s hard to know what to expect honestly,” said Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer, who should at the very least know about ASU’s head coach Charli Turner Thorne (’88), whom she coached here on The Farm.
On past statistics, Stanford has a considerable edge, leading 47-11 in the total record, and with a seven-game streak stretching back to 2006. In fact, VanDerveer has never witnessed a home loss to the Sun Devils at Maples, arriving here two years after the single blemish, in 1984.
Records, however, are there to be broken, and ASU is 25-5 on the road in the Pac-10 since the 2005-06 season. The difficult part of that statistic, however, is that three of those losses were at Maples.
One area that ASU may look to capitalize on is rebounding. It has out-rebounded its opponents in 13 of 18 games this season, and, though generally strong in this respect, the Card has given up a large number of rebounds to its opposition in recent games.
“We’re leading the Pac-10 in rebounding,” VanDerveer said, “but it is something that we really have to focus on and rebounding I think is always key for us. We depend on rebounding well.”
Injuries, especially to guards, have played a key role in the recent drop in form for Stanford. After registering 100 points on Saturday, and seeing the return of key players like guards junior Jeanette Pohlen and redshirt junior JJ Hones, the Card hopes to push on.
“You’re always excited when someone comes back,” Appel said. “All the pieces are getting put into place, so it’s a good thing.”
This period might even prove to be pivotal in any trophies the team can bring home this year, allowing several players to step up and assume greater roles.
“Every disappointment is a blessing,” VanDerveer said. “That’s kind of my saying for the year. I stole it from [Nnemkadi’s] dad, Peter Ogwumike.”